Help to reduce the risk of flooding in your local area

It’s that time of year again where wind and rain washes leaves and other debris onto drain gully gratings, which can then get blocked.

Wet weather is predicted for this weekend according to the Met Office.

So Lancashire County Council is reminding to people to think ahead and reduce the risk of flooding that could affect your home, your family and your neighbours.

Clearing a few autumn leaves off the grating on your property will help to keep the drains working better.

Phil Durnell, head of highways for the county council, said: “People can help reduce the risk of surface water flooding by making sure any drain gully gratings on their own property are clear of leaves and other debris, because these often act like a plug and stop the water from draining away.

“You might even want to check leaves haven’t blocked the gratings on the road outside your property, and clear these as well but please take care not to put yourself at any risk from passing traffic.

“The county council maintains over 300,000 highway gullies to help reduce the risk of surface water flooding, regularly cleaning out those that we know can be a particular problem. When heavy rain is predicted we put extra teams on standby to help tackle any problems that occur.”

The county council has advice to people on practical steps that you can take to reduce the risk of flooding, what to do if flooding occurs and contact numbers for key organisations.